Beyond This Place

Societal problems like racism and inequality often feel overwhelming. Clint Smith sees a possible remedy: storytelling. Through his work as a poet, educator, and activist, including an innovative program at the Massachusetts Department of Corrections, Smith often confronts how we’re socialized to simplify others down to their race, their class, or even just their worst moment. The same is being done to us, and thus our lives can feel riven by social divides. But if we learn to tell our own stories—to explore our emotions, and to captivate the emotions of others—we can fully engage with our shared humanity.